Wednesday, February 6, 2008

At our recent meeting in Presidio I mentioned my idea of a 16 ft. high wall to dramatize the proposed border wall. Dave Long suggested it be portable. I have taken some of his ideas and some of my own and am prepared to build one this weekend with the following specifications:Frame constructed of 3/4 inch black steel pipe and measuring 8 ft. wide by 16 ft. high. Off the shelf threaded fittings would be used to fasten the sections together. The frame would be filled with extruded metal lathe such as used in stucco wall construction. It could be easily folded in half, width and length wise to fit in a pickup bed. It would be mounted on a frame of 2 by 6's which would also be carried in the truck bed. The frame would be anchored with sand bags to keep the wall upright in strong winds. It could be dismantled easily with small pipe wrenches.Unless people object I will build it this weekend in my garage and cover the cost of materials myself. I do not think the cost will exceed $250. Clarence Russeau and Eve Trook have volunteered to help. Volunteers would be needed to arrange demonstrations and locations to protest the wall and make people aware of the visual impacts the border wall will have. Photos or diagrams showing the impact of virtual walls would also be desirable. They will require wide swaths of cleared land, roads, and lights with cameras on 100 ft. towers.If anyone objects or thinks it is a lousy idea they should email me immediately. It has been 1.5 weeks since our meeting and this weekend is my last chance to help. I can be reached at bakedalaska2@bigbend.net or 432-364-2399.Roger Siglin____________________________________________________________________